Real Climate Records

WEATHER NOTES FOR MARCH.

“Severe Heat Wave.”

The Divisional Meteorologist for South Australia (Mr. E Bromley) reports: — The outstanding feature of the weather in March was the severe heat wave experienced during the first week.

A slight coastal change occurred on the 3rd but elsewhere warm to hot weather prevailed throughout the State during the first six days, the heat being intense on several occasions.

The highest readings were 108 deg. at Nullarbor and Cook on the 1st, while Port Augusta regis-

tered, over the century each day, with an average for the six days of 105 deg.

At Adelaide it was the warmest spell In March since 1914.

The advance of an energetic ‘high’ on the 10th brought a decided cool change, but only a little

scattered light rain. Several other brief warm spells prevailed during the month, and conditions

at times were sultry, but no further intense heat was experienced.

Little rain of any consequence fell until the second half of the month, when there were two

general downpours accompanied by thunderstorms The first rainstorm occurred on the 18th and 19th, and was due to the passage of shallow depression well placed between anti-cyclones,

while the second was the result of a monsoon which passed rapidly across the State on the 25th. In both cases falls were light to moderate, with a few heavy amounts, the central lower Murray and south-east districts mainly benefiting.

Except for a slight deficiency on Kangaroo Island and along portion of the southeast coast, the mean temperature for March was above the average throughout South and Central Australia.

At several stations the surplus amounted to 2 deg., while at Alice Springs the positive variation was 3.6 deg.

Over North Australia the month was somewhat cooler than usual, the subnormality at Darwin being 1 deg.

At Adelaide both the day and night temperatures averaged slightly in excess of normal, the

mean of the maximum readings being half a degree above.